Randomness Guide to London - Differences between Version 3 and Version 2 of La Cave, SE1 9QQ

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For mains, Kake had pigeon with baby vegetables and creamed cabbage, while doop had tea-infused duck breast with puy lentils (£16). The pigeon was served on a long, narrow plate, in three preparations - one on the bone with a reduced sauce; one fairly pink, with slightly-too-crisp baby turnips and perfect baby carrots (real ones, not just sculpted pieces of bigger ones); and one less pink on top of a timbale of cabbage in a very rich cream sauce. While a meatatarian like [[Bob]] would have loved it, Kake would really have preferred more (and less rich) vegetable content. However, doop's duck and lentil dish was much more generous on the plant-food front, with a very decent portion of nicely-cooked lentils.	For mains, Kake had pigeon with baby vegetables and creamed cabbage, while doop had tea-infused duck breast with puy lentils (£16). The pigeon was served on a long, narrow plate, in three preparations - one on the bone with a reduced sauce; one fairly pink, with slightly-too-crisp baby turnips and perfect baby carrots; and one less pink on top of a timbale of cabbage in a very rich cream sauce. While a meatatarian like [[Bob]] would have loved it, Kake would really have preferred more (and less rich) vegetable content. However, doop's duck and lentil dish was much more generous on the plant-food front, with a very decent portion of nicely-cooked lentils.

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== Line 8 ==

For mains, Kake had pigeon with baby vegetables and creamed cabbage, while doop had tea-infused duck breast with puy lentils (£16). The pigeon was served on a long, narrow plate, in three preparations - one on the bone with a reduced sauce; one fairly pink, with slightly-too-crisp baby turnips and perfect baby carrots (real ones, not just sculpted pieces of bigger ones); and one less pink on top of a timbale of cabbage in a very rich cream sauce. While a meatatarian like [[Bob]] would have loved it, Kake would really have preferred more (and less rich) vegetable content. However, doop's duck and lentil dish was much more generous on the plant-food front, with a very decent portion of nicely-cooked lentils.

For mains, Kake had pigeon with baby vegetables and creamed cabbage, while doop had tea-infused duck breast with puy lentils (£16). The pigeon was served on a long, narrow plate, in three preparations - one on the bone with a reduced sauce; one fairly pink, with slightly-too-crisp baby turnips and perfect baby carrots; and one less pink on top of a timbale of cabbage in a very rich cream sauce. While a meatatarian like [[Bob]] would have loved it, Kake would really have preferred more (and less rich) vegetable content. However, doop's duck and lentil dish was much more generous on the plant-food front, with a very decent portion of nicely-cooked lentils.

Small wine bar cum restaurant hidden down a twisty alleyway near London Bridge Station.

Kake and doop visited on a Thursday evening in February 2008. We booked in advance - though only shortly after lunchtime, for an evening visit on the same day - and were glad we did, as the small dining room was full for most of the evening.

Service was friendly, and fairly well-practised. We let the sommelier choose our wine; he chose very well, and within the price range we specified. Tap water was provided without a murmur, and indeed most of the other tables seemed to be drinking it, though the jugs being brought around to refill everyone's glasses seemed quite few and far between, and our glasses sat empty for quite a while at the beginning of the evening.

Kake started with vanilla scallops with fennel and pink peppercorns (£6). The scallops were very competently cooked, well-browned on the outside and tender on the inside. The sauteed fennel was perhaps a bit on the rich side, but its sweetness worked well with the vanilla flavour of the scallops. doop had asparagus mousse with poppy seeds and salmon roe (£5), and was very happy with it.

For mains, Kake had pigeon with baby vegetables and creamed cabbage, while doop had tea-infused duck breast with puy lentils (£16). The pigeon was served on a long, narrow plate, in three preparations - one on the bone with a reduced sauce; one fairly pink, with slightly-too-crisp baby turnips and perfect baby carrots; and one less pink on top of a timbale of cabbage in a very rich cream sauce. While a meatatarian like Bob would have loved it, Kake would really have preferred more (and less rich) vegetable content. However, doop's duck and lentil dish was much more generous on the plant-food front, with a very decent portion of nicely-cooked lentils.

We finished with the cheese plate for Kake (£7 for five cheeses - seven cheeses would have been £8) and crepes Suzette for doop. The cheese plate was excellent, with the cheeses ranging from melty and smelly to blue and smelly (OK, I may be biased here).

Overall verdict: Will definitely return, since we only live one Tube stop (or half an hour's walk) away - if you're travelling from further afar, then it's up to you whether you think it's worth a trip. It's a wine bar as well as a restaurant, and the wine bar part of the place certainly looked quite comfy. They offer a range of "delicate bites" (i.e. nibbles) to go with your wine, and if the quality of the restaurant food is anything to go by, they're worth a try.

Randomness Guide to London Menu

Randomness Guide to London - Differences between Version 3 and Version 2 of La Cave, SE1 9QQ